CHICAGO -- A Chicago plaintiff sued the Blockbuster Videos corporation and its agents on March 30, 2007 for negligence, stemming from a slip and fall in front of the video drop box outside an Oak Park, Ill. store. The suit, filed by Tamara Allen, alleges that on Dec. 15, 2005, the plaintiff was returning a video outside the store when she slipped on an icy portion of the sidewalk. As a result, she allegedly sustained injuries to her head, body, and limbs, as well as other internal and external injuries. Emotional distress and lost wages are also factored in the plaintiff's damage request, which exceeds $50,000. The plaintiff alleges that Blockbuster Videos, Inc., and its Oak Park franchisees (Peter, Jim, and Efthimos Kanavos) were negligent for their failure to prevent the accumulation of ice and to warn customers of the hazard outside the store. Neither the corporation nor the other named defendants have filed an answer to the complaint. The plaintiff is represented by Fred I. Benjamin of Benjamin & Shapiro, a downtown Chicago firm specializing in personal injury cases. The firm boasts of successful verdicts in all varieties of slip and fall cases since its inception 35 years ago. To this end, the firm's web site features a "Slip and Fall Information Center" allowing potential plaintiffs to assess the worthiness of their claims and contact Benjamin & Shapiro for further representation. Allen's case is set to proceed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. No judge has been assigned to the case yet, and the first case management hearing is scheduled for July 25.